Sixteen is a rebellious age for most young people, and Aly is no exception. With her mother, the lady knight Alanna, forever being summoned to some crisis or other, and the young men of Tortall little more than diversions, Aly is bored and restless. Her father is second-in-command of the country's spies- of only he would let her be one! The former king of theives, he had trained her in the arts of espionage and knows that she is capable of taking care of herself. But he won't risk losing his only daughter to the dangers of the field, so she spends her time helping him decode messages and dyeing her hair blue. But everything changes when Aly, sailing alone down the coast of Tortall, is captured by pirates and winds up a slave to the Balitangs, a kindly noble family of the Copper Isles. Years of lessons in the Isles' history have prepared her for their dual cultures- those of luarin, or white, conquerors and those of the brown-skinned, or raka, natives. Fueled by prophecies of a twice-royal queen who will free them, the rakas' resentment keeps the realm in constant turmoil. But Aly is no weeping captive; she's determined to free herself. Enter Kyprioth, patron god of the Isles, also known as Trickster, who is looking to shift the balance of power back to his raka worshipers. Aly makes a deal with the god: she will use her own trickster gifts to keep the Balitang children, especially the two teenage girls, safe through the summer. In exchange, Kyprioth will give her magical assistance in the form of spying crows and knowledge of events at court- and eventually, her freedom. But deals with gods are never simple matters; she doesn't count on becoming personally involved in the raka revolt, or with an unusual young man who has his own plans for Aly. ...